I never got the chance to ask Grandmama Lillian SLEDGE what her father was like or to ask my mother if she ever told any stories about him. As you can see from his military grave registration, Papa Ben was a private in the Army. Aunt Edna said that he got shell shock as a result of the war. I have a Fold3 membership but there doesn’t appear to be any records available for him there so I plan to order them from NARA. Who knows, maybe there is a picture of him on file. I was unable to find a marriage record for Ben and Lucy (online) who could have married anytime after 1910. A visit to the Noxubee County courthouse would have to be made to search on a marriage license, pending my arrival stateside. Unless my Macon family would like to help me out with that…hint, hint . Ben was Lucy’s second husband (on the 1910 Noxubee County, Mississippi census she is listed as the wife of Lee QUINN and a Noxubee County marriage license was located for them…more on that when I get around to creating a profile page for her). It is possible that if Lee QUINN wasn’t deceased (a death record search request for him is pending), she never divorced him (or did she?) and spent her life with Ben as a common-law wife. I’m optimistic that they were legally married however in genealogy, that has to be proven with documentation. Ben’s occupations were as a laborer employed by Henry M. JONES in Macon, Mississippi; a baker and a farmer. The latter two he possibly worked at simultaneously and apparently he was working on his own account as an employer from 1920 up until 1930 when he was listed as being a farmer. Although his last occupation on his death certificate was given as a baker which ended the year of 1931. Perhaps he had stopped farming and continued as a baker but then stopped working altogether after 1931 due to illness? Ben died from a hemorrhage caused by piles. There was no indication of the duration for this illness on his death certificate because he had no doctor and in fact, no doctor was ever asked for. We can only speculate as to the why and how of his death with no attending physician: was there no doctor available at the time? Did he live too far away from a clinic or hospital where he could not travel because he lacked transportation or was not feeling up to the traveling? Did he not like doctors and was into curing himself with natural medicine? Or he knew his time had come and felt no doctor could help him? Whatever the case, I hope that he did not suffer.

12 August 2013 update: Cousin Alton CHANEY did some investigation of Papa Ben’s military company on Google and came across two sources of information. One was Wikipedia and the other was the A3Genealogy (A3G) blog of a Kansas City, Missouri professional genealogist, Kathleen Brandt. She wrote about her discovery of a great-uncle who served in the 805th Pioneer Infantry nicknamed the “Bearcats”. They were an all-Black infantry and coincidentally, Papa Ben also served with them in Company G (see the image of his military grave registration). Prompted by Kathleen’s description of the book her great-uncle was mentioned in, I tracked it down on the website of Archive.org, an incredible powerhouse of FREE “universal access to all knowledge”. Unfortunately, we did not find Papa Ben anywhere on the pages dedicated to Company G in this book, titled, “Victory: History of the 805th Pioneer Infantry American Expeditionary Forces”. There is an explanation offered that might explain why only a small amount of soldier’s names made it to print, “It is not the purpose of this history to make individual mention because space will not allow. Company ‘G’, since its inception, has been ‘on top’ all the way through. The men have been loyal to themselves, their officers, and non-commissioned officers, and their country, and they hold a place of high esteem in the eyes of their officers. They can return to civil life with a consciousness of a task well done and carry with them always the memories of their various careers as members of Company ‘G’, of the 805th Pioneer Infantry, the most efficient colored regiment in France” (page 136). I have put in a request for the retrieval of Papa Ben’s military records from NARA through A3G. Meanwhile, I will continue reading the Victory book to see if Papa Ben’s name appears. Stay tuned for another update provided that happens and/or his file is found!

WWI Final Payment Roll number 1-2

2 September 2013 update: I have completed reading the book, Victory: History of the 805th Pioneer Infantry. I did not find Papa Ben’s name mentioned anywhere, not even in the captions of pictures. Now I am waiting for the notification of any records that Kathleen Brandt of A3G found or did not find at NARA.

28 September 2013 update: I added a collage of three scanned images received from Kathleen via NARA and the transcription. See “1918-1919 WWI Final Payment Roll”. This was the only thing found in Papa Ben’s military file and does not indicate if he served overseas. It was nice to see that he was paid upon discharge. $82.50 in 1918 is equal to $1,277.80 in 2013 when adjusted for inflation (see the screen capture of the US Inflation Calculator). That was a lot of money back then. I am sure it must have came in handy for him and his family and I hope it lasted for a while.

17 February 2014 update: A 1918 “Local Military Report For Duty” has been added to Papa Ben’s profile. His occupation is listed as a baker. His brother younger brother, Walter, was also a baker and called up for military duty at Camp Pike in Arkansas serving with and discharged from the 839th Company TC (TC=transportation corps?), while Papa Ben went to Camp Funston in Missouri. My thought is that they were possibly chosen for their culinary skills to work in the kitchen. Two other WWI documents located for Papa Ben and Walter were the “Statement Of Service Cards” and a 1917-1919 “Mississippi Veterans List” which have been transcribed below. I wonder how they felt being separated from each other during the war.

Left: WWI Final Payment Roll Number 3. Right: How much $82.50 would be worth in 2013, adjusted for inflation

DONAM SLUDG: head of household, # dwelling visited 179, # family visited 179, Black, male, b. May 1860, 40yrs, married, number of years of present marriage: 13yrs, born in MS, both parents born in MS, occupation: farmer, could read/write/speak English, ownership of home; owned or rented: rented, ownership of home; farm or house: farm, number of farm schedule: 112

MINNIE SLUDG: wife, Black, female, b. Apr 1870, 30yrs, married, number of years of present marriage: 13yrs, mother of how many children: 8, number of these children living: 7, born in MS, both parents born in MS, couldn’t read/write English but could speak it

MINNIE SLUDG: daughter, Black, female, b. May 1885, 15yrs, single, born in MS, both parents born in MS, occupation: farm laborer sharer, could read/write/speak English

LAWRENCE SLUDG: son, Black, male, b. June 1887, 12yrs [number 13 scratched out], single, born in MS, both parents born in MS, occupation: day laborer, couldn’t read/write English but could speak it

BEN SLUDG: son, Black, male, b. Jan 1890, 10yrs, single, born in MS, both parents born in MS, couldn’t read/write English but could speak it

ANGELINE SLUDG: daughter, Black, female, b. Apr 1892, 8yrs, single, born in MS, both parents born in MS, couldn’t read/write English but could speak it

WALTER SLUDG: son, Black, male, b. June 1895, 5yrs [number 5 written over 4], single, born in MS, both parents born in MS, couldn’t read/write English but could speak it

JESSIE SLUDG: son, Black, male, b. Mar 1898, 2yrs, single, born in MS, both parents born in MS, couldn’t read/write English but could speak it

BEN SLEDGE: head of household, # dwelling house visited 202, # family visited 202, male, Black, b. 1889, 21yrs, single, born in MS, both parents born in MS, could read/write/speak English, occupation: farm laborer, industry: working out, whether an employer, employee or working on own account: W, whether out of work on April 15, 1910: no, number of weeks out of work during 1909: 16, ownership of home; owned or rented: rented, ownership of home; farm or house: house

1917-1918 United States World War I Draft Registration Cardhttp://bit.ly/15lqhLr
Registration Card No: 206
Name: Ben Sledge
Age in years: 26
Home address: Macon, Miss
Date of birth: Jan 4 1891
Are you (1) a natural born citizen, (2) a naturalized citizen, (3) an alien, (4) or have you declared your intention: (1)
Where were you born: Macon, Miss, U.S.
What is your present trade, occupation or office: laborer
By whom employed: Henry M Jones
Where employed: Macon, Miss
Have you a father, mother, wife, child under 12, or a sister or brother under 12, solely dependent on you for support: none
Married or single: no
Race: Negro
Do you claim exemption from draft: no
I affirm that I have verified above answers and that they are true: Ben Sledge [signature]
Registrar’s Record
Tall, medium or short: medium
Slender, medium or stout: medium
Color of eyes: brown
Color of hair: black
Bald: no
Has person lost arm, leg, hand, foot or both eyes, or is he otherwise disabled: no
Signature of registrar: Chas Strong
Precinct: Macon
City or county: Noxubee
State: Miss
Date of registration: 6/5/1917
Affiliate Publication Title: World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards
Affiliate Publication Number: M1509
GS Film number: 1682943
Digital Folder Number: 005151818
Image Number: 05690

1918 WWI Report For Military Duty
Image 152 of 1132 on Ancestry.comhttp://ancstry.me/1iOFFqj
Form 1029 PMG
ORIGINAL
When completed to be mailed by Military Authorities to the Provost Marshal General, Washington, D.C.
Local Board for the County of Noxubee, State of Miss., Macon, Miss.
Sheet No. 1
Date: July 18, 1918

The selected men herein described, having ben inducted into military service on July 18, 1918 have this date been entrained for Camp Funston, Kansas. This statement consists of 3 sheets.

1919 Statement Of Service Card
Mississippi World War I Statement of Service Cards and Indices
Series 1713: Mississippi World War I Statement of Service Cards, 1917-1919
Army
Alphabetical By Name
Shelton, J-Smith, C
Image 803 of 1075 on Mississippi Dept. of Archives & Historyhttp://bit.ly/17SwEsD
1
Surname: Sledge
Christian name: Ben
Army serial number: 3,784,539
White, colored: colored
Residence: Macon, Noxubee, Mississippi
Enlisted *R.A. *N.G. *E.R.C. * Inducted at: Macon, Miss on July 18, 1918
Place of birth: Macon, Miss
Age or date of birth: 27 6/12 yrs
Organizations served in, with dates of assignments and transfers: Co G 805 Pion Inf to disch
Grades, with date of appointment: Pvt
Engagements:
Wounds or other injuries received in action: none
Served overseas from: Sept 1/18 to Feb 28/19 from _____ to _____
Honorably discharged on demobilization: Mch 29, 1919
In view of occupation he was, on date of discharge, reported: 0 per cent disabled
Remarks:
Form No. 724-1, A.G.O.
Nov. 22, 1919
*Strike out words not applicable
Dates of departure from and arrival in the U.S.
3-7362

1919 WWI Final Payment Roll
Retrieved by NARA (Reproduced at the National Archives-STL)
Received from Kathleen Brandt (A3Genealogy aka A3G)
Voucher no: 2516
Name of quartermaster: Joseph Goldman
Paid: March 1919
Final payment roll of
Organisation: Cas Co. 1
Regiment: Ret. and Cas. Camp
Discharged on: March 29, 1919
Appropriations
Pay, etc., of the Army, 1919: $2842.24
Pay, etc., of the Army, 191_:
General appropriations, Q.M. Corps $1919: 353.45
Pay of the Army, deposit fund:
Amount: $3195.69
Collections
Quartermaster: $376
Post Laundry: $7.75
Paid in cash: $3184.18
Total: $3195.69
Post laundry collections hereon paid by checks on Treasurer of the United States dated _____, as follows
Ft. __ston, $4.50, No. 7131
Ft. Lee Va, $325, No. 7120
A-15 Original
Station: Camp Shelby, Miss.
Date: March 29, 1919
I certify that the men borne on this roll were discharged this date; that this roll exhibits the true pay status of each man borne herein on such date; that the entries opposite the name of each man borne herein is entitled to travel allowances and to foreign service pay to include _____, 191_ (date of arrival in U.S.), and was last paid to include Feb. 28, 1919 by 1st Lt. J.M. Rosar, Quartermaster

__________
2nd Lt _____
Personnel Adjutant

I certify that I witnessed the payment of this roll and that prior to the signing of this certificate each man received the amount set opposite his name, with the exception of those men marked “not paid.”

Note–This certificate to be signed on on the copy of the pay roll which bears signatures of the men for payment in cash.

I certify that this roll is a true copy ov the roll upon which payment, witnessed by me, was made, excepting as to the signatures in the receipt column and the certificate as to witnessing the payment thereof.

__________
_____
Commanding organization

Note–This certificate to be signed only on the copy of the roll not receipted, and which constitutes the quartermaster’s retained voucher.

Reproduced at the National Archives- STL
Page 4

War Department
Form No. 371-A
Approved by the Comptroller of Treasury Nov. 21, 1918

[Line number]: 20
Soldier’s initials typewritten: B.S.
Army seal number: 3784539
Grade: J.T.
Date and place of acceptance for enlistment, or place of receipt of notice for active duty, by reservist; inducted; reporting for duty as National Guardsman under caller draft by the President, to which entitled to travel allowances: July 18/18 Macon Miss
Enrollment paid: 1
Total amount of pay: 60.00
Q.M.: 29.00
Allotments: Class A and B: 14.50
Total amount of allotments: 14.50
Credits net pay: 74.50

1917-1919 Mississippi WWI Army Veterans Index
Mississippi Department of Archives & History (MDAH)
Mississippi World War I Statement of Service Cards and Indices
Z/0291.000/S: Master Alphabetical Index of World War I Army Veterans (Mississippi)
R-Z
Image 103 of 351 on MDAH
Accessed 7 Nov 2013http://bit.ly/17SwEsD

BEN SLEDGE: # dwelling house visited 214, # family visited 237, rented house, lived on a farm, head of household, b. 1892, 38yrs, male, Black, married at 28yrs, did not attend school, could read/write/speak English, born in MS, both parents born in MS, occupation as a general farmer, class of worker was O, was at work the day before census, not a veteran

LUCY SLEDGE: wife, b. 1890, 36yrs, female, Black, married at 21yrs, did not attend school, could read/write/speak English, born in MS, both parents born in MS, occupation: none

LUCY B SLEDGE: daughter, b. 1915, 15yrs, female, Black, single, attended school, could not read/write English but could speak it, born in MS, both parents born in MS, occupation: none

LILLIAN SLEDGE: daughter, b. 1918, 12yrs, female, Black, single, attended school, could not read/write English but could speak it, born in MS, both parents born in MS, occupation: none

EVERLYNIA SLEDGE: daughter, b. 1925, 5yrs, female, Black, single, did not attend school, born in MS, both parents born in MS, occupation: none

GEORGE SLEDGE: son, b. 1927, 3yrs, male, Black, single, did not attend school, born in MS, both parents born in MS, occupation: none

MINERVA SLEDGE: mother, b. 1862, 68yrs, female, Black, married at 21yrs, did not attend school, could not read/write English but could speak it, born in MS, father born in NC, mother born in GA, occupation: none

STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi State Department of Health
Vital Records
10826033

Bureau of Vital Statistics
Standard Certificate Of Death
Mississippi State Board of Health
State File No. 34-11662

1. PLACE OF DEATH
County: Noxubee
Registered no:
Voting precinct:
Or village:
Or city: Macon
No:
St:
Ward:
(If death occurred in a hospital or institution, give its NAME instead of street and number)
Length of residence in city or town where death occurred?
Yrs:
Mos:
Ds:
How long in U.S. if of foreign birth?
Yrs:
Mos:
Ds:
2. Full name: Ben Sledge
(a) Residence:
No:
St:
Ward:
(If nonresident give city or town or state)
PERSONAL AND STATISTICAL PARTICULARS
3. Sex: male
4. Color or race: Black
5. Single, married, widowed or divorced: married
5a. If married, widowed or divorced HUSBAND of (or) WIFE of: Lucy Sledge
6. Date of birth (month, day, year)
7. Age:
Years: 43
Months:
Days:
8. Trade, profession: baker
9. Industry or business
10. Date deceased last worked at this occupation: 1931
11 Total time (years) spent in this occupation: 15
12. Birthplace: Nox Co. Miss.
13. Father name: Donoma Sledge
14. Father birthplace: unknown
15. Mother maide name: Mima Mosley
16. Mother birthplace: Miss
17. Informant (and address): Lucy M Sledge
18. Burial, cremation or removal
Place: Methodist
Date: 7/23, 1934
19. Undertaker: HR Dare & Co
20. Filed: 7-23, 1934
Registrar: Ora H. Bethany
MEDICAL CERTIFICATE OF DEATH
21. Date of death (month, day, year): 7/22, 1934
22. I hereby certify that I attended the deceased from ____ 19__ to _____ 19__. I last saw h_____ alive on _____ 19__. Death is said to have occurred on the date above, at 3 p.m.
The principal cause of death and related causes of importance in order of onset were as follows: hemorrhage caused from piles
Date of onset:
Contributory causes of importance not related to principal cause: no doctor R.F.C. helping him but no doctor ask for in time
Name of operation (if any was done):
Date of:
What test confirmed diagnosis:
Was there an autopsy: no
23. If death was due to external causes (violence) fill in also the following:
Accident, suicide or homicide:
Date of injury:
Where did injury occur (specify city or town, county and state):
Manner of injury:
Nature of injury:
24. Was disease or injury in any way related to occupation of deceased? If so, specify: had no physician
(Signed) _____ M.D.
Address: